Grief over Gonski

I am deeply tired of the ridiculous arguments that a being put forward in articles concerning the funding of non-government schools.

The basic tenure of the arguments for funding private schools is: I don’t use it therefore I should be compensated; and it will cost the government more.

Let us face it, both arguments are nonsense. If we use a different statement, for example: I don’t use public transport, therefore I should be compensated because my taxes are being used to support people who do. We can see how stupid the argument is. The government’s job is to distribute tax revenue for the greater good – not to suit every person or group who lives in Australia.

Yes, it will cost the government more to properly fund public schools and cut funding to private schools. However, the social costs of the current system are far greater than mere financial considerations.

While it is an absolute democratic right for organisations to set up schools, there is no right for them to expect government funding. Regardless of the long history of the funding of private education in Australia, it is time to reverse the damage that has been done to Australian society

It is clear that the current funding regime has actually encouraged a decline in the public education system across Australia. We have felt the impact of government funding being directed at and supporting the rapid increase of private schools. It is clear that, in some areas, the public schools are becoming schools for the poor and socially disadvantaged. This process has been actively encouraged by the inequitable funding of private schools by governments, both federal and state.

The provision of funding for non-government schools by secular democratically elected governments is an attack on egalitarianism and the fundamental values underpinning modern Australia. The key belief in Australia is that our society should be classless and fair to all. The current school funding model is increasing stratification of society and breeding a “them and us” culture which is anathema to the very basis of Australian society. There is no place in Australia for government funding of schools based on religion – or the ability to pay fees. Such a policy only leads to division, instability, and mistrust.

The Federal Government has set its goal as achieving the best public education system in the world – it cannot achieve this while it continues to fund non-government schools.

The key aim of the Federal Government must be to provide the best possible education to enable all children to achieve their full potential. Thus, it is essential that the current funding model, which encourages the setting up of government-funded non-government schools, is abandoned. In its place must be a funding model which aims, over the next ten years or so, to reduce federal and state government funding to non-government schools from its current levels to zero. If this leads to the collapse of some, or many, government-funded private schools – so be it.
Federal policy has led to a great divide in Australian education and it must be reversed – regardless of the pain this will cause to entrenched interests of the religious and independent schools lobby.

It is critical that the model of a high-quality, free, local public school be reinstated in Australia. High quality means properly resourced to meet the needs of the local community. If a school has a high population of non-English speaking students – then that community and school must be funded to provide the resources necessary to ensure equal opportunity for all. If a school is in an area of great social disadvantage – then the community and the school must be funded to provide excellent outcomes for the children of that area. To ensure equity, schools must be funded according to their particular circumstances and needs. Our aim must be to provide a free, high-quality education for every child. A key principle of that aim must be that every school is a safe place for every student – regardless of disability, sexual orientation, ethnicity, gender, cultural background, race, and religion. The government must understand this clearly and fund communities appropriately to ensure that this ethos exists in every government school. Children only learn if they are feeling safe. Once a safe environment is achieved, then the school can do its job of transforming lives and allowing dreams to be realised.

Thoughtfully funded government schools are the great socialising places of a democratic society. They provide the cement which binds a society together; they help build friendships and understanding between children of different backgrounds; they are places where the prejudices of parents are exposed; they create a society where hard work is valued and what one’s parents do is of no consequence; they teach that safety and respect are critical rights of all human beings; they lead to a truly multi-cultural society where people’s religious views are respected; and they create a well-educated people where superstition and fear are replaced with rationality and resilience. It is vital that we recognise this and fund schools with the direct outcome of producing a harmonious society where hard-work and cultural understanding can produce a dynamic and resilient country.

Finally, the lobbying of religious and independent schools must be resisted. They have had it too good for too long. If Australia wishes to have an egalitarian society where all cultures and religions feel safe, we must stop educating our children separately. We must educate them in schools where diversity is encouraged and each child has an equal chance to achieve his or her dreams. Australia’s governments, federal and state, must govern with a vision for the future of a tolerant, well-educated, modern society – not merely to satisfy the requirements of marginal seats so that they can hold on to power.

According to the article, Donnelly says school choice is a right and parents who decide to send their children to non-government schools should not be financially penalised. The figures quoted in the article raise interesting questions about who is penalising whom.

A school like MLC in Melbourne, for example, is reported to receive about one-third the level of state and federal government funding ($3100) that a nearby high school, Balwyn High receives ($8500). Given that MLC parents also pay fees over $20,000, this means that the total spending per student at MLC must be nearly three times the cost of educating students at Balwyn High School. Given that Balwyn High School students perform as well, if not better, than MLC student in VCE examinations, does this mean Balwyn High is three times as efficient as MLC? Or, does it mean that schools like MLC are charging much more than is needed to provide a good education? Are MLC parents being ripped off? Or, why has Australia allowed a situation to arise, like the exorbitant costs of health in the USA, whereby the total cost of education in some schools is obviously higher than it needs to be? If so, why should the public subsidise such inefficiency?